IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Dec 2003

Strange bedfellows: organic synthesis and essay-writing

G. Bhattacharyya ; S. Calimsiz ; G.M. Bodner

Abstract

The article examines the processses involved in essay-writing by comparing it with the the process by which organic chemistry synthesis schemes are solved. In the process of writing an essay, the author uses knowledge of vocabulary, syntax, and discourse to creatively organize and then produce a paper. In the process of generating a synthesis, the chemist uses knowledge of structure, functional group reactivity, and reaction mechanisms to creatively organize and then produce a synthesis. Both the writing of an essay and the design of an organic synthesis are goal-oriented, nonlinear, recursive activities that lead to a product that is greater than the sum of the individual elements involved in its creation.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2003-12-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2003.819636
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
discourse analysis grammar and mechanics
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (14) · 4 in this index

  1. Hounsell (1984)
    Learning and essay-writing
  2. 10.1080/0950069910130202
     ↗
  3. 10.2307/358177
     ↗
  4. Perl (1979)
    The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers
    Research in the Teaching of English
  5. 10.2307/376357
     ↗
Show all 14 →
  1. 10.1002/anie.199104553
     ↗
  2. Flower (1980)
    The dynamics of composing: Making plans and juggling constraints
  3. 10.1207/S15326985EP3501_3
     ↗
  4. Pianko (1979)
    A Description of the Composing Processes of College Freshman Writers
    Research in the Teaching of English
  5. 10.2307/377490
     ↗
  6. 10.2307/356630
     ↗
  7. 10.1080/0729436840030102
     ↗
  8. Walvoord et al. (1995)
    Functions of Outlining Among College Students in Four Disciplines
    Research in the Teaching of English
  9. Wallace et al. (1991)
    Redefining Revision for Freshmen
    Research in the Teaching of English
CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Res Rhetorica Jan 2026
    Review/Recenzja: Nancy Organ. 2024. Data Visualization for People of All Ages. Oxon: CRC Press; and Jen Christiansen. 2023. Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science Through Diagrams and Visualizations. Oxon: CRC Press ↗
    Ewa Modrzejewska
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis digital rhetoric multimodality grammar and mechanics race and writing book reviews
  2. Journal of Writing Research Oct 2025
    Macrotextual, microtextual and writing analysis of texts written by people with schizophrenia differentiated by their symptoms ↗
    Alfonso Martínez-Cano; Alberto Martínez-Lorca; Juan José Criado; Manuela Martínez-Lorca
    discourse analysis grammar and mechanics
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2024
    “I Feel Like I’m in a Box”: Contrasting Virtual Reality “Imaginaries” in the Context of Academic Innovation Labs ↗
    Brent Lucia; Matthew A. Vetter; David A. Solberg
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis creative writing graduate education teacher development professional writing digital rhetoric social media grammar and mechanics editorial matter
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2024
    Editors’ Use of Comprehensive Style Guides: The Case of Singular They ↗
    Jo Mackiewicz; Shaya Kraut; Allison Durazzi
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis first-year composition writing pedagogy graduate education teacher development writing centers technical communication professional writing digital rhetoric multilingual writers grammar and mechanics literacy studies race and writing public rhetoric editorial matter
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Oct 2024
    The Construction of Interpersonal Meanings in Jiaqi Li's E-Commerce Live Streams: Integrating Verbal and Visual Semiotics ↗
    Huiyu Zhang; Yining Hou
    discourse analysis professional writing multimodality grammar and mechanics